Related documentsAssessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality This paper compiles the state of knowledge on fish safety and quality with the view to providinga succinct yet comprehensive resource book for risk and fish quality managers. After anintroduction to world fish production and consumption and the developments in safety andquality systems, it provides a detailed review of the hazards that cause public health concerns infish and fish products. Several chapters are devoted to risk mitigation and management tools,with a detailed description of the requirements for the implementation of the Good Hygienic andManufacturing Practices (GHP/GMP) of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)system and of the monitoring programmes to control biotoxins, pathogenic bacteria and viruses,and chemical pollutants. Chapters on the use of microbiological criteria, the use of the HACCPapproach to target quality aspects other than safety matters, predictive microbiology,traceability and examples of food safety objectives complete the ...Sixth World Congress on Seafood Safety, Quality and Trade Fish and fish products are among the most traded foodcommodities: close to 40 percent by volume ends up ininternational markets. Yet around three-quarters of fishexports finish up in just three markets: the European Union,Japan and the United States of America. China is anincreasingly important player both as an exporter and animporter. Consumers expect that the fish they have access towill be safe and of acceptable quality, regardless of wherethey are produced or ultimately consumed. This has givenrise to issues regarding fish quality and safety, internationaltrade, risk analysis and harmonization of standards. Theseand other issues are addressed in this document, whichrepresents the proceedings of the Sixth World Congress onSeafood Safety, Quality and Trade held in Sydney, Australiafrom 14 to 16 September 2005.The Congress was held underthe auspices of the International Association of FishInspectors, in collaboration with FAO and the UnitedNations Industrial ...Seafood Safety - Economics of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) programmes Seventy percent of the world's catch of fish and fishery products is consumed as food. Fish and shellfish products represent 15.6 percent of animal protein supply and 5.6 percent of total protein supply on a worldwide basis. Developing countries account for almost 50 percent of global fish exports. Seafood-borne disease or illness outbreaks affect consumers both physically and financially, and create regulatory problems for both importing and exporting countries. Seafood safety as a commodity cannot be purchased in the marketplace and government intervenes to regulate the safety and quality of seafood. Theoretical issues and data limitations create problems in estimating what consumers will pay for seafood safety and quality. The costs and benefits of seafood safety must be considered at all levels, including the fishers, fish farmers, input suppliers to fishing, processing and trade, seafood processors, seafood distributors, consumers and government. Hazard Analysis Critical ...International seafood trade: challenges and opportunities. FAO/University of Akureyri Symposium. 1–2 February 2007, Akureyri, Iceland. These are the proceedings from the Symposium on InternationalSeafood Trade: Challenges and Opportunities, held in Akureyri,Iceland, from 1 to 2 February 2007, organized by the University ofAkureyri, Faculty of Business and Science in collaboration withthe FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department.The meeting included a range of views regarding the risksand challenges inherent to the recent developments ininternational seafood trade with views from government officials,business representatives and academia.The symposium highlighted that the seafood sector isextremely dynamic and is increasingly becoming a global sector.Risks include the pressure of global demand on capture fisheriesthat are often overexploited, meeting the higher sanitary andphytosanitary requirements being set by the markets and thedevelopment of voluntary ecolabels. Opportunities include bettermanagement of marine resources, further development of theaquaculture sector, advancement of technology to ...The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and post-harvest practices and trade A major event for world fisheries was the adoption of a Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries by the FAO membership on 31 October 1995. Fisheries, including aquaculture, provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade and economic well-being for people throughout the world, both for present and future generations and should therefore be conducted in a responsible manner. Fisheries usually represent a particularly valuable natural resource which make the need for their conservation an even higher priority. The Code sets out principles and international standards of behaviour for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation and management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. It also recognizes the nutritional, economic, social, environmental and cultural importance of fisheries, as well as the interests of those concerned with the fishery sector, the resource users from fishers ...Codex Code of Practice for Fish and Fisheries Products This Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products has been developed by the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products from the merging of the individual codes plus a section on aquaculture and a section on frozen surimi. (2005) documents and articles Article 11: Post-harvest practices and trade documents and articles

In order to reduce significant losses of fish, FAO has introduced several techniques which include better preservation, processing and storage of fish products.

As most of the losses recorded are estimated, it is becoming increasingly necessary to have practical field methods of assessing physical and economic fish losses for sustainable loss reduction strategies. Through training and collaborative studies, FAO provides the necessary expertise and develops and disseminates tools/normative guidance to assist countries in conducting practical loss assessments and to establish and implement their strategies. Department's activities focus on safety and quality assurance and value addition.

Safety and quality

Safety and quality of fish products is of great importance for many countries in the light of increased demand, consumers' safety requirements and the globalization of fish trade. Developing countries cover over 50% of this trade, whereas developed countries account for more than 80% of total imports in value terms. Safety and quality standards are expanding in conformity with the WTO agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT).

Developing countries need to meet these requirements to maintain and strengthen their market share, and actively participate in international deliberations under the auspices of Codex Alimentarius. They require international assistance to strengthen national and regional capacities. Assistance to the fish industry and its support institutions, through training and technical advice, in the assessment and management of fish safety and qualityThe Fisheries and Aquaculture Department supports these requirements by:

Value addition

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department participates in various Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) projects to assist developing countries with value added fisheries products. Specifically, these projects seek to identify potential products suitable for value addition, the optimization of their technological aspects, pilot trials at the industry levels, market studies and market access activities, upscaling the technology, training and dissemination both the findings and the technological improvements.

All CFC projects relate directly to the promotion of the private sector with explicit participation of private firms in conjunction with the national government. As a result, the capabilities of the Project Executing Agencies are strengthened through experience gained in executing these projects and with FAO support.